Professors of Architecture Stephanie Pilat and Angela Person recently presented their research on the American School of Architecture at the book launch for Histories of Architecture Education in the United States. Hosted by Joan Ockman and Fernando Lara at the University of Pennsylvania, a select group of authors featured in this book were invited to share their research.
Takenobu Mohri, "Orchestration of Materials: Concrete & Glass." OU, Architecture 273. Professor Bruce Goff, ca. 1954. TM Collection, American School Archive, OU Libraries.
Edited by Peter Laurence, professor of Architecture at Clemson, this volume explores the development of architectural education in the last two centuries. Pilat and Person’s chapter highlights the University of Oklahoma’s unique and radical approaches to architectural education.
Ernest Burden, “A Study in Proportion, Transparency, Translucency, Opacity.” OU, Architecture 273. Bruce Goff, instructor. 1955. EB Collection, American School Archive, OU Libraries.
“Working with our team of faculty and students, we’ve sought to ensure that the American School history is always recognized as a key part of the story of architectural education and practice in the U.S. in the 20th century. Having a chapter in this book means we’re realizing our ongoing goal of elevating the story of this incredible legacy,” Pilat said.
Bruce Goff with students at the University of Oklahoma, circa 1950. Courtesy of the American School Archive, University of Oklahoma Libraries.
During the event, Peter Laurence gave an overview of the book project and raised questions about the future of architectural education. Afterwards, Pilat and Person presented their research, in addition to Anna Vallye, professor of Art History and Architectural Studies at Connecticut College, and William Littmann, professor of Architecture at the California College of Arts. The presentations were followed by a panel discussion.
Robert Faust, "United States Forest Service Fire Observatory," ca. 1952. Robert L. Faust Collection, American School Archive, University of Oklahoma Libraries.
In their presentation, Pilat and Person highlighted the radical empathy fostered in the American School of Architecture, led by Bruce Goff. Goff and his colleagues rejected the idea that students had to be subject to harsh criticism to learn. Instead, they believed that young designers needed encouragement above all else.
Robert Faust, "Orchestration of Materials." OU, Architecture 273, Professor Bruce Goff, ca. 1953. RF Collection, AS Archive, OU Libraries.
“Today, decades after Goff and Greene left OU, the lessons of their teaching are proving to be more valuable than ever. They approached their work with students with a sense of empathy and support, which was radical at the time. We now know, however, that their approach was the right one: student learning is supported when students feel encouraged by their faculty,” Pilat said.
The book is available for purchase at Routledge.com.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2025 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
On November 21, 2025, the Mainsite Contemporary Art gallery was transformed into a showcase of innovation and craftsmanship for the University of Oklahoma’s furniture design build studio exhibition, “Purpose in Form.”
Associate Professors Lee Fithian, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Pober have published a chapter in the recently released New Perspectives in Indoor Air Quality, published by Elsevier. Their contribution, titled “Chapter 16 – Architecture and the Challenges of Indoor Air Quality,” examines the relationship between architecture and indoor air quality.
